Speech #630240128

Nearly all foreign nations whose ships will use the canal will refund to the owners of such vessels the amount which they expend for tolls. while on the other hand our ships will have no such relief granted to them. This condition of affairs will inevitably result in that portion of our shipping engaged in foreign commerce and using the canal being driven off the sea. and I can see no way of its escaping that fate. It may not be out of place at this time to call attention to the contention made by some that $300.000.000 of American money is invested in ships which fly foreign flags and are eugaged in carrying freight and passengersmostly immigrantsto this country. These vessels owned in part by American citizens. whose tolls through the canal will be paid by the foreign nation whose flag they fly and under whose laws they are registered. are also said to be subsidized by those nations to keep on hand and readily available a complement of guns and ammunition. and are outfitted in every ivay to act as auxiliary cruisers and scouts to destroy the shipping of this Nation in the event that war should occur between the two nations. The conduct of such citizens is an act of treachery to this country and should be dealt with as such. instead of being favored at the expense of the rest of the more honorable people of this country. These same vessels whose welfare has been so well guarded by the terms of the HayPauncefote treaty are busily engaged In flooding this country with immigrants from Europe. and thus are at work in harmony with. if not in actual conjunction or partnership with. those other large interests who use this cheap labor in order to keep down its price. By this conduct they establish a condition whereby there ensues keen competition in the labor market. and by the continual repetition of this process and the pitting of newer import.tions of laborers against those already here they not only dodge the law which forbids them to import it. but also make a profit by the transaction. and in addition have brought about a condition of unrest in the affairs of this country that should cause all rightthinking citizens to pause and take notice. A continuation of the exploitation of the people and resources of this Nation in this manner by those so dishonest as to engage in it will. in my opinion. in the not distant future create a "Villa " in this country. and the scenes now being witnessed in Mexico will be repeated here. and attempts to cure the condition by means of legislation that does not go straight home to the mark are sure to fail. I am willing to concede that the policy of granting subsidies has nothing to do with the tolls question. yet it must be conceded by all that it will have a practical and direct bearing upon the shipping interest of this country of farreaching importance in the near future and may prove vital to it. In respect to our coastwise shipping I have come to the conclusion that. so far as the people of the Pacific coast are concerned. it will make no great difference in the general results whether the vessels engaged In that trade go through the canal free from tolls or pay them. for in neither case. in my opinion. can they hope to compete successfully with foreign bottoms carrying the same class of freight from the ports of British Columbia to the north of us. and that the construction of the canal will in fact and in many ways benefit the peoplp of that country more than it will us. My reason for making this statement is that under their laws their ships can and do employ crews of Asiatics. the individual members of which work for wges rang. lug from $6 to $8 per month. while our ships are compelled to play wages ranging from $20 to $30 per month. Also the foreigner competing with us for that trade can purchase his vessel abroad for about 30 per cent less than our citizens can procure the same type of vessel in this country. This reduces the interest charges on the investment and the amount which must be marked off for depreciation. which is an item of considerable importance on such property.